


devil's advocate

by thekuroiookami



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Dialogue Heavy, Family Bonding, Fluff, Gen, Kyrie is bestest girl, Mild Angst, also Vergil is not the brightest, people just talking, platonic, tea and cakes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2019-04-24
Packaged: 2020-01-25 21:00:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18582493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekuroiookami/pseuds/thekuroiookami
Summary: Kyrie and Vergil have a nice, leisurely chat over tea. And maybe decorate some cupcakes.





	devil's advocate

Vergil surveyed the tiny apartment slowly and came to two pertinent conclusions.

 

One: the place was such a security risk it was almost hilarious. He supposed this was how he had managed to take Yamato back when he had barely been able to stand.

 

Two: It was looking more certain that Nero was most likely Dante’s son, and not his.

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

He refocused on Kyrie’s politely confused expression and realized he might have said the last bit out loud.

 

“There are no books here,” he said by way of question.

 

“Oh. Yeah...Nero’s more of a hands-on person, I haven’t seen him read much beyond magazines, and that’s if he’s really bored.”

 

“And you?” 

 

Kyrie smiled and set a cup of tea in front of him. Vergil took a sip and raised his eyebrow at the taste of brandy.

 

“I admit most of my reading now is picture books. The children at the orphanage are very enthusiastic about those.”

 

He nodded in acknowledgement. “How did you meet?”

 

Kyrie sipped her tea before answering. He wondered if her cup also had alcohol in it. “We’ve known each other since we were children.”

 

He tilted the teacup to let light catch on the golden liquid. “I see. He must have been rather similar to Dante.”

 

The girl laughed quietly. There was something soothing about it. “Did your brother ever dare a ten-year-old girl to swap out ceremonial wine with vinegar?”

 

He looked at her with morbid fascination. “You actually did that?”

 

“Let’s just say, that was an unforgettable sort of congregation.”

 

Vergil tipped his head in a newfound respect. “I see.” 

 

Kyrie gave him a bright smile. He felt warmth spread through his chest, but that might have been the brandy.

 

“So,” he began, tracing a pattern on the hilt of his sword, “where exactly did those two go?”

 

“I don’t know. I just asked Trish to keep them occupied for a while.”

 

“You...engineered this situation?” Vergil’s wary respect for her shot up so fast he was surprised plaster didn’t crumble from the ceiling.

 

“I just wanted to talk with Nero’s father.” Her eyes twinkled. “Since he’d never say that himself.”

 

Vergil set his sword aside and crossed his arms. How in the name of Sparda did the boy ever go out anywhere, knowing this kind of innocent creature was being left unprotected? The windows suddenly looked even more breakable, the doors flimsier. Maybe he would have to take some measures.

 

“Oh, I just remembered!” Kyrie clapped her hands together, then ran off. 

 

He watched, bemused, as she returned with a tray of something that looked fluffy and smelled buttery. The young woman set it down carefully and looked at him hopefully.

 

“I made cupcakes for the children!”

 

“I can see that.”

 

“Would you mind helping me decorate them?” She held out a - he wasn’t sure what it was called - thing that looked a tube of pink.

 

He couldn’t help it. Vergil gave her a look that he normally reserved for low-level demons and other ignoramuses that got in his way. “Do I look like I normally interact with icing?”

 

Kyrie squared her shoulders and looked him dead in the eye where lesser men would have become ash. “No, but there’s a first time for everything. You might even enjoy it, you never know.”

 

That’s when it hit him. This girl wasn’t weak at all. She was kind  _ because  _ she was strong. He looked away, suddenly finding it hard to breathe. It was as if someone had laid his life out bare on the table and pointed out that in between the barbed wire and the bloody crowns, all he’d ever managed was to endanger the world.  _ Failures. _

 

A gentle hand on his arm jolted him out of the cold place he had been sinking into. “Are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine,” he muttered. “Hand me the sugary instrument of death.”

 

“The piping bag? Okay.” Kyrie’s brilliant and transparent joy only hurt him some more, but he could take it. He hadn’t traversed hell for nothing.

 

He piped the pink icing onto one cupcake with a dissatisfied mien. “Don’t you have better colours?”

 

“Such as?” He saw her smile as she carefully created a circle of rosettes.

 

“Black. Red. A blue that doesn’t look like it was invented in the dreams of someone that believes in unicorns and happy endings. I would take a sickly green, if it came to it.”

 

She didn’t seem to be paying attention to his sensible arguments. “Are you piping a  _ skull _ ?”

 

“I couldn’t figure out how to put a hellbat onto that limited space. One must work with what one can.”

 

She continued watching in a rapt fashion as he moved on to the next one. Huh. Maybe she was learning something from him.

 

“Annnd now you’re doing a snake, okay.”

 

He paused. “That’s a gun.”

 

“Oh dear.” She shook her head and went back to her work, humming.

 

Vergil was on his fifth cupcake, having gotten into a rhythm, when she spoke again.

 

“May I ask a question?” She was toying with worn edge of the tablecloth, slightly anxious.

 

He set down the icing with a slight sigh. She probably wouldn’t believe him, but he didn’t have answers. “If it’s about Nero’s mother, I don’t know. My memories of everything have been a little...hazy.”

 

“Oh.” Kyrie cleared her throat delicately. “That wasn’t the question, but thank you for telling me anyway.”

 

“What is it, then?”

 

“Is there, erm...anything you like to eat?”

 

He stared at the girl for so long, her cheeks turned pink with embarrassment. Finally Vergil asked, slightly hoarse: “Why?”

 

“So I can cook it when you come over next?”

 

He supposed it said something about Nero’s character that he had found a girl who could make such statements with absolute conviction. Maybe he could salvage the boy before he turned into a complete Dante.

 

“I...I am not certain.” He frowned at a spot on the table that looked like claws had raked through it. Staying with Dante hadn’t exactly opened up a world of culinary possibilities. Not that he had given it much thought. “I am sure whatever you choose to make will be without fault.”

 

Kyrie blew a lock of hair out of her eyes, exasperated. “Of course. It’s like anyone related to Sparda is born without a sense of taste.”

 

“I wouldn’t say that,” Vergil replied with a hint of amusement. “Nero has you, after all.”

 

“Oh.” Kyrie turned red and tried to hide behind her hands. “Thank you.”

 

His mouth quirked up at the corner as he turned to look out the window. Maybe he could get used to giving compliments. 

 

“Ah,” he murmured. “It looks like the family, such as they are, have returned.”

 

“Hmm? Wait- where are you going? Nero will want-”

 

“He will want to spend time with you,” Vergil said, sliding open the window. “I look forward to seeing what you choose to cook. My thanks for the tea.”

 

He didn’t stop to look at her face as he stepped out of the window, into the air.

 

* * *

 

_ Two days later. _

 

“Uhhh. Nero? I think you might want to see this.”

 

“What is- KYRIE GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM IT BEFORE IT EATS YOU-”

 

“It’s fine. He? She? The puppy came with a card.”

 

“DON’T CALL IT A PUPPY LIKE IT’S A NORMAL DOG, IT’S GOT THREE FRIGGING HEADS.”

 

“Just read the card, Nero.”

 

“To Nero. Don’t say I never got you a birthday present. She will watch your young lady while you’re gone...the fuck?”

 

“Gosh, all of you are so overprotective. Guess it runs in the family.”

 

“Wait, is this-”

 

“Yes, Nero.”

 

“But why would-”

 

“Because.”

 

“...so what do we feed it?”

  
  



End file.
